Chevrolet is once again resetting expectations for American performance cars, announcing that the upcoming 2026 Corvette ZR1X has recorded a 1.68-second run from zero to 60 miles per hour and an 8.675-second quarter-mile at 159 miles per hour, figures that place it firmly in hypercar territory.
The times were confirmed by Chevrolet following testing conducted last October at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. According to the automaker, the runs were completed using pump gas, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, carbon-fiber wheels and the car’s standard aerodynamic setup. Chevrolet said the Corvette ZR1X made multiple passes under 8.8 seconds, indicating the performance was repeatable rather than a single optimized run.
The Corvette ZR1X represents the most extreme evolution yet of Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette platform. It combines a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter LT7 V-8 engine driving the rear wheels with a significantly upgraded electric motor powering the front axle. The result is an all-wheel-drive hybrid system producing a combined 1,250 horsepower, making it the most powerful production Corvette ever built.
Chevrolet engineers credit the car’s acceleration to a custom launch control strategy that precisely manages torque delivery between the front and rear axles. The system allows the ZR1X to deploy its power aggressively while maintaining traction, a key factor in achieving sub-1.7-second 0-60 times on a prepared surface.
Even without a prepped drag strip, the ZR1X delivered staggering performance. Chevrolet said the car ran a 1.89-second 0-60 time and a 8.99-second quarter-mile on an unprepped surface when equipped with the optional ZTK Performance Package, which includes stickier tires and additional aerodynamic aids.
The numbers place the Corvette ZR1X in direct comparison with some of the world’s most exclusive hypercars. Several seven-figure exotics post similar or slower quarter-mile times, despite costing multiples of the ZR1X’s price. Chevrolet has not been shy about highlighting that contrast, positioning the ZR1X as a performance bargain in a segment traditionally dominated by European brands.
General Motors President Mark Reuss said the results validate the company’s long-term strategy for the Corvette, particularly the decision to move the nameplate to a mid-engine layout and embrace electrification for performance rather than efficiency alone.
“When we made the revolutionary shift to a mid-engine platform, this is the type of performance we knew was possible,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss.
Reuss said the combination of internal-combustion power and electric assist allows the ZR1X to reach levels of acceleration that would be difficult to achieve with a conventional drivetrain.
While Chevrolet has not yet released full production details, the ZR1X is expected to start at roughly $209,700 before options. That price places it far above previous Corvette models, but still dramatically below the cost of hypercars it now rivals in straight-line performance.
The ZR1X’s performance also underscores how far the Corvette brand has evolved. What began decades ago as a relatively affordable American sports car has steadily climbed into world-class performance territory, culminating in a vehicle capable of acceleration figures once reserved for limited-production halo cars.
Chevrolet has not announced an on-sale date, but production is expected to begin later this year. If the published numbers translate to real-world ownership, the Corvette ZR1X is poised to become one of the fastest-accelerating production vehicles ever offered by a mainstream automaker, further cementing the Corvette’s place among the global performance elite.
